EDITORIAL: Policy for water service in rural areas needed

Published: Sunday, November 10, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, November 9, 2013 at 10:51 p.m.

County Commissioner Jerry Tingle wants Tuscaloosa County to have a policy that governs water main extensions. Probate Judge and County Commission Chairman Hardy McCollum wants rural water authorities to take responsibility for water main extensions. Even if McCollum is right, a water main extension policy is still needed.

Alabama counties are ill-equipped to help residents in rural areas with problems beyond road and bridge improvements. They were established to provide minimal services to people living outside of towns and cities. They are not, as some seem to believe, municipal governments for people living in rural areas.

But as rural areas have grown in population and rural residents have come to expect and need more services, county commissions have been required to assume more responsibility. Water is one of the services counties have become involved with.

Unlike some counties, Tuscaloosa County has no countywide water system. It relies on federally chartered rural water authorities that have territories protected by law from competition. Their job is to extend water service to remote areas that cities don’t serve.

The problem is that some people live in areas that are so isolated or the terrain is so difficult that extending a water main to them isn’t economically feasible. The water system can’t recover the cost of extending the main with the amount of water they would sell to the customers.

Over the years, the Tuscaloosa County Commission has helped some of those customers obtain water service. Its planning department has applied for rural water grants, and the county has provided matching money for the grants. Using the grant money allows rural

water systems to extend their mains without factoring the extension cost into their rates.

Unfortunately for rural residents, grants for rural water lines have become increasingly harder to come by. But the need for clean water hasn’t declined. Wells in Tuscaloosa County, particularly the northern part of the county, frequently aren’t reliable year-round, and many have issues with iron deposits.

The County Commission has approached helping rural areas with water issues case-by-case. Citizens don’t understand why some receive help and others don’t.

However, the county has built a large reserve in its general fund. The money has already been taken out of the citizens’ pockets, and its purpose is to serve them. The county must maintain enough money in reserve for emergencies, such as natural disasters, and as a hedge against economic downturns that cause tax revenues to decline.

But it is hard for the county to justify sitting on a large reserve while citizens go lacking for such a basic need. Commissioners should determine when and under what circumstances the county can lend residents a hand and how much it can spend. Having a policy that provides for a consistent response makes sens

<p>County Commissioner Jerry Tingle wants Tuscaloosa County to have a policy that governs water main extensions. Probate Judge and County Commission Chairman Hardy McCollum wants rural water authorities to take responsibility for water main extensions. Even if McCollum is right, a water main extension policy is still needed.</p><p>Alabama counties are ill-equipped to help residents in rural areas with problems beyond road and bridge improvements. They were established to provide minimal services to people living outside of towns and cities. They are not, as some seem to believe, municipal governments for people living in rural areas.</p><p>But as rural areas have grown in population and rural residents have come to expect and need more services, county commissions have been required to assume more responsibility. Water is one of the services counties have become involved with.</p><p>Unlike some counties, Tuscaloosa County has no countywide water system. It relies on federally chartered rural water authorities that have territories protected by law from competition. Their job is to extend water service to remote areas that cities don't serve.</p><p>The problem is that some people live in areas that are so isolated or the terrain is so difficult that extending a water main to them isn't economically feasible. The water system can't recover the cost of extending the main with the amount of water they would sell to the customers.</p><p>Over the years, the Tuscaloosa County Commission has helped some of those customers obtain water service. Its planning department has applied for rural water grants, and the county has provided matching money for the grants. Using the grant money allows rural </p><p>water systems to extend their mains without factoring the extension cost into their rates.</p><p>Unfortunately for rural residents, grants for rural water lines have become increasingly harder to come by. But the need for clean water hasn't declined. Wells in Tuscaloosa County, particularly the northern part of the county, frequently aren't reliable year-round, and many have issues with iron deposits.</p><p>The County Commission has approached helping rural areas with water issues case-by-case. Citizens don't understand why some receive help and others don't.</p><p>However, the county has built a large reserve in its general fund. The money has already been taken out of the citizens' pockets, and its purpose is to serve them. The county must maintain enough money in reserve for emergencies, such as natural disasters, and as a hedge against economic downturns that cause tax revenues to decline.</p><p>But it is hard for the county to justify sitting on a large reserve while citizens go lacking for such a basic need. Commissioners should determine when and under what circumstances the county can lend residents a hand and how much it can spend. Having a policy that provides for a consistent response makes sens</p>